Some eyebrows were raised on Friday when the Sharks opted to non-tender goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood just days after trading for him. However, in the end, he will be suiting up in San Jose as Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch reports (Twitter link) that Blackwood will be signing a two-year deal with the club. Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli reports (Twitter link) that the contract is expected to carry a $2.5M AAV.
As has been the case with several players that have re-signed already on Saturday, the Sharks didn’t want to run the risk of Blackwood filing for salary arbitration and going to a hearing. As a result, they opted to not tender him the $3.36M qualifying offer and are now getting him for an amount that’s considerably lower.
Things have not gone well for Blackwood in recent seasons as he has consistently battled injury issues and has battled inconsistency when he has been in the lineup. He has started just 79 games in the three seasons, posting just a .897 SV% and a 3.19 GAA. Last season, he wound up losing his backup spot to Akira Schmid late in the year and wasn’t dressing for their playoff games, a clear sign that he wouldn’t be back for 2023-24.
Blackwood will now form a tandem with returning netminder Kaapo Kahkonen, a duo that will be among the cheaper duos in the NHL with a combined cap hit of just $5.25M. It will also be one of the younger duos as both goalies are just 26. For a San Jose team that doesn’t have a true goalie of the future in the system, this coming season should serve as a tryout for both of them to prove that they’re worthy of a long-term look with the Sharks or elsewhere. It’s a tandem with some upside if both play to their perceived potential but if recent struggles repeat themselves, it could be a tough year for an already rebuilding San Jose franchise.
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